Kathleen Sebelius on Gun Control

Democratic KS Governor

Vetoed concealed carry law

Sebelius has said she supports Kansans’ right to own firearms, but does not believe a broad concealed carry law would make them safer: “I don’t believe allowing people to carry concealed handguns into sporting events, shopping malls, grocery stores, or
the workplace would be good public policy. And to me the likelihood of exposing children to loaded handguns in their parents’ purses, pockets and automobiles is simply unacceptable.”

Sebelius vetoed, like her Republican predecessor Bill Graves, a
concealed carry law that would have allowed citizens to carry concealed weapons after obtaining a state permit and passing an FBI background check. The veto left Kansas, at the time, as one of four states without any form of a conceal-carry law.

On March 21, 2006, she vetoed Senate Bill 418, a similar concealed-carry bill. On March 25, Sebelius’s veto was overturned after the Kansas House of Representatives voted 91-33 to override it. This followed the Kansas Senate’s 30-10 override vote.

Source: Wikipedia.com article “Kathleen_Sebelius”
, Apr 21, 2008

Allow machine gun ownership if NFA requirements met

On April 21, 2008, Sebelius signed Senate Bill 46 into law, which repealed a 1933 state law prohibiting civilian ownership of machine guns and other firearms restricted by the National Firearms Act of 1934 provided that any prospective civilian owner
successfully meets the requirements of the NFA. The law was passed in part to address legal issues that could have prevented dealers from delivering firearms to law enforcement agencies in Kansas. The law takes effect on July 1.

Source: Wikipedia.com article “Kathleen_Sebelius”
, Apr 21, 2008

No new restrictions: supports second amendment

Kathleen Sebelius supports every Kansan’s second amendment right to bear arms. And, more than that, she supports the Kansas Constitution which provides even greater rights for gun owners.
Kathleen Sebelius supports current Kansas gun law and has no proposals to make any changes.

Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology.

Sebelius adopted the manifesto, "A New Agenda for the New Decade":

Make America the “Safest Big Country” in the World After climbing relentlessly for three decades, crime rates started to fall in the 1990s. Nonetheless, the public remains deeply concerned about the prevalence of gun violence, especially among juveniles, and Americans still avoid public spaces like downtown retail areas, parks, and even sports facilities.

We need to keep policing “smart” and community-friendly, prohibiting unjust and counterproductive tactics such as racial profiling; focus on preventing as well as punishing crime; pay attention to what happens to inmates and their families after sentencing; use mandatory testing and treatment to break the cycle of drugs and crime; and enforce and strengthen laws against unsafe or illegal guns. Moreover, we need a renewed commitment to equal justice for all, and we must reject a false choice between justice and safety.

Technology can help in many areas: giving police more information on criminal
suspects so they do not rely on slipshod, random stop-and-search methods; allowing lower-cost supervision of people on probation or parole; and making it possible to disable and/or trace guns used by unauthorized persons.

Above all, we need to remember that public safety is the ultimate goal of crime policy. Until Americans feel safe enough to walk their neighborhood streets, enjoy public spaces, and send their children to school without fear of violence, we have not achieved public safety.

Goals for 2010

Reduce violent crime rates another 25 percent.

Cut the rate of repeat offenses in half.

Develop and require “smart gun” technology to prevent use of firearms by unauthorized persons and implement sensible gun control measures.